To say that you’re on Ozempic had become a bit of a flex, as was the “Ozempic face” — markers of the fact that one could shell out Rs 24,000 a month to access the weight loss drug once only available abroad. But with Novo Nordisk’s patent on semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic or Mounjaro-like drugs — expiring in India on March 20, dozens of generic versions are now set to flood the market at a fraction of the cost.

While making a life-saving drug like semaglutide more affordable feels like a win for equitable healthcare, it has also raised questions over the manufacturing quality of the drug and another equally important aspect — storage.